


Not Your Average High School Experience

by One_tired_boi



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Angsty Bill Denbrough, Bill Denbrough Loves Stanley Uris, Bisexual Bill Denbrough, Bisexual Richie Tozier, Child Neglect, F/F, F/M, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Stanley Uris, Homophobia, Human Pennywise (IT), Internalized Homophobia, Kidnapping, Losers Club (IT) Friendship, M/M, Multichapter, Oblivious Eddie Kaspbrak, Organ Theft, Past Child Abuse, Richie Tozier Has ADHD, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Sad Bill Denbrough, See ya there, Stanley Uris Has OCD - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Yikes, adrian mellon - Freeform, angsty teens in general, i love them, idk - Freeform, kiddos start dying, literally pennywise we're talking about, mike hanlon/ betty ripsom, oh god im goin to hell, robert gray - Freeform, they all have talent, this is what art school is like, trust me - Freeform, we miss Georgie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2020-10-18 16:35:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20642279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/One_tired_boi/pseuds/One_tired_boi
Summary: The Losers club all get accepted into a new art school, far far away from the horrors of Derry, Maine. They thought they left their problems behind them, but it turns out evil is never far. Kids begin to disappear again, but on a much larger scale. Horrific disasters turn into weekly occurrences. The Losers aren't sure how much more they can take.





	1. The beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> New Fic! Make sure to read all the tags lol, it's gonna be an interesting story.  
I'm so excited to write this fic, and I've had this idea for so long!  
Enjoy :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Losers and their Art School applications

Eddie Kaspbrak was 100% sure he was ready for what this year would bring, even if his mother did not share this mindset. He’d gone to hell and back trying to convince his mom to let him go to art school, and it wasn’t until he’d paid the neighbor to convince her to let him go that she’d finally say yes. 

“The boy doesn’t have many friends, Sonia. And the kids have to audition to get there, which means less bullies. I think this school would be great for Eddie.” His 76 year old neighbor spoke slowly, and in between sickly coughs his mom had received the message. If Eddie going to art school was the dying wish of an old man, Sonia must give in and let him go. Even if that meant saying goodbye to her only son. To Sonia this was the end of the world, even if she’d see him again over the summer and numerous breaks. 

Eddie knew the $5 he had paid his neighbor would be worth it, because now he could spend his days becoming a better performer, whilst spending time with all of his closest friends. Earlier that year, him, Mike Hanlon, and Beverly Marsh had all crammed into Mike’s grandfather’s old brown sedan. Mike’s grandfather was always happy to help his Mikey follow his dreams, even if those dreams included acting. Now he had to admit that he always secretly wished Mike would take over the family farm, but acting school wasn’t the ‘end all be all’. Mike could still spend time with his very old man, and pursue his dreams in the process. 

Beverly, Eddie, and Mike all had the same audition date, so they all rode down to Boston together. Of course this art school had to be in the middle of a city, there’s no way such a liberal school could exist in the town of Derry. The city was new to all of them, even to Eddie. He’d been there twice before, when his mom forced him to stay at the Boston Medical Center for weeks at a time. That was different though, because he didn’t get to actually see the city. (unless you count the view of a hospital window). 

Now Eddie roamed the streets with his friends, Mike’s grandfather trying his best to find the school using Google Maps. Touring Boston was an experience the kids had never felt before, and in that moment they knew this school would be perfect for them. 

The Boston Betty Herman School for the Arts was a prestigious school, opened only ten short years ago when some rich old bat left her money to “build an art school” after she was tired of modern music being so awful. Her goal was to get some last public brownie points, successfully improving her ego from her last public scandal with her recently deceased dead husband. I guess she figured it was better to leave her money to a random charity then to her children who she absolutely despised. A win win situation. 

It wasn’t like anybody cared about the history though, or about the school in general. When the faculty came to Derry Middle school to advertise their program, the whole school practically booed them off the stage. The only different sound Eddie heard was the annoying voice of Victor Criss saying, “This new ‘arts school’ is a breeding ground for fags and homos!” Of course Henry and his minions had laughed, adding even more remarks that Eddie could never un hear.

“Yeah I bet the little faires prance around the stage, all happy and gay.” said Belch Huggins, earning more laughter from his ‘friends.’ 

“They won’t be laughing after we’re done with em’ am I right boys?” Henry said angrily, causing Eddie to reach for his aspirator. 

“Yeah!” they said in unison. 

“Dumb fags. Now wha do ya say boys, wanna go beaver trappin’ after this dumb assembly ends?” Henry said loudly, egging on his mindless pals. 

“I’m down.” said Patrick, and the rest of them nodded in agreement.

“BBHSFTA is a perfect place to make new friends and feel accepted, all while improving greatly in the arts! We’re like a big family over in Boston, plus you get to dorm at school!” 

“Yeah, one big happy gay family. Like I said.” rang the voice of Belch. Great, the whole cycle of homophobic remarks started again. Eddie found himself scooting closer to Richie on the bench, recoiling away from the ignorant boys. Richie held his breath when he realized Eddie moved closer to him. Shit shit shit shit-

“You ok rich?” Eddie asked when he noticed Richie’s breathing, or lack thereof. 

“Yeah, I’m aye okay. Can’t say the same for those idiots over there, though.” great, crisis avoided. Richie often found that Bowers was a great conversation started. At least now he could breathe again, and his heart beat could return to normal.

“Yeah. He must hate this school more than my mom does. No need to worry though, I’m gonna bribe my neighbor to convince her to let me go.” Richie would sense Eddie’s determination, and it was a refreshing change from his usual apprehensiveness. 

“Good luck with that Eds. I already convinced my mom to drive me to Boston for the audition. I think she’s glad to get rid of me.” Richie forced out a laugh, and Eddie looked at him with great concern. 

“Don’t say that- I’m sure she loves you. And for crying out loud, stop calling me that.” Eddie was blushing, and he was glad he could look away from Richie’s big eyes to the stage in front of them. They were supposed to be paying attention to the assembly, after all. 

The audition had gone surprisingly well for all of them Eddie had auditioned for musical theatre. He loved singing and acting and he was glad his friends all supported him. Mike had auditioned for Actor’s Studio, a program for actors that didn’t sing or dance. Mike liked acting ever since he was a kid, giving performances to all of the animals on the farm. He also played Trombone, but decided to go for acting instead. Beverly had auditioned for Tech Theatre, the behind the scenes department where props were built and outfits were sewed. Beverly loved fashion designing and sewing, so this new school felt like the perfect place for her to go to. 

Richie’s audition was a week after Eddie’s, and his mom drove him to Boston, silent for the majority of the trip. Richard Tozier is the opposite of quiet, so he spent the majority of the trip anxiously rambling. His audition went as smoothly as it could’ve gone, considering this is Richie we’re talking about. He had auditioned for band, since he’s been playing the saxophone since 6th grade. Most of the time he played meme songs like Careless Whisper, but he did like playing jazz too. This was surprising since he hated listening to jazz music, and mostly enjoyed listening to rock and roll. 

Bill Denbrough and Stanley Uris drove down to Boston a few days after Richie had. Stanley’s mom had agreed to take them, as long as Stan promised to keep up his studies at this new school. It had taken a long time for his dad to agree to let him go. “How will you go to the Synagogue on a regular basis?” was his greatest concern. Stanley had agreed to find a new one in Boston, a lie he had no intention of pulling through with. He would still wear his kippah, though. It wasn’t like he was leaving his religion for good, prayer could be done from any building. Bill’s parents had no problems letting him leave, and quite frankly, Bill had no problems leaving them too. They had grown distant after the tragic death of poor Georgie Denbrough, and their minds seemed to be in a fog. 

Both Bill and Stan were both auditioning for the Visual Arts department, after spending months preparing their separate portfolios. The whole idea of a big audition made Stan want to puke his guts out, but Bill was supportive through the whole thing. The audition had gone well for both of them, just as Bill had predicted. They had both hugged when they got out of the audition, both of them absolutely ecstatic with the possibility of attending their dream school. 

Ben’s audition was the only one that wasn’t physical, all he had to do was send a few writing samples to the Creative Writing Department he had auditioned for. Do not be fooled though, his audition was just as hard to prepare for as any of the other Losers’. He had spent countless house awake at night trying to pry his brain for ideas. Eventually he’d scraped together a few papers, and sent them in a few days before the due date. 

All of the Losers got their acceptance of rejection letters on the same day. Eddie was the first to announce his on the group chat, saying “I got my letter! I’m not opening it until you all get yours too!” They had all gathered at Bill’s house with their letters, ripping them open in unison. 

“I got in!” cried Stan. 

“Me too!” yelled Ben. 

“Same!” said Beverly. 

“I got in! Guys I got in!” Eddie squealed in excitement. 

“Ha! I got in too! Good luck escaping me now Eds!” Richie yelled in response. 

“I got in too guys!” Mike said excitedly. 

“Guh-guys, I d-d-didn’t g-get in.” Bill said sadly. 

The Losers all felt their excitement slip away. 

“Man, that sucks-” 

“Haha! Juh-just k-k-kidding! I guh-got in too!” 

“You sly dog, tell me again why you didn’t audition for acting?” Richie joked as they all hollered in excitement. The whole gang was going to art school, successfully escaping Derry and all of it’s past problems. This was a new beginning, and the Losers had a feeling the next four years would be the best of their lives.


	2. Road trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These first few chapters will be them moving in and stuff, basically school prep stuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these chapters are coming later, School's been rough

The Losers celebrated their victory by screaming in joy, causing Bill’s mom to kick them outside. Each and every one of them went home and immediately began packing, preparing themselves for the journey of high school. 

“I can’t believe we’re leaving this hell hole.” Eddie spoke over the phone to Richie, who was listening carefully. This wasn’t one of his many skills, but he found that when Eddie was the one talking, he was the one listening. 

“I know right, your mom must be so sad to let me go.” Richie knew it was a lame joke, but it fired Eddie up nevertheless, making it an absolute win. 

“That was seriously not funny, dude.” 

“Did you just ‘dude’ me? I’m hurt Eds, seriously hurt-” 

“EDDIE!” The voice of his mother cut through Richie’s sentence. 

“Is she asking for me again?” Richie wouldn’t let this joke go. 

“No- and shut up. I’ll call you later.” Eddie hung up the phone before yelling back to his mom. “YEAH MOM??” 

“DID YOU PACK THE TUMS?” 

“YEAH MOM.” the constant questions from his mother rang through his head like an annoying song. Did you pack your ibuprofen? Your inhaler? Your eye drops? I’m packing some condoms in case your friends need some. Especially that Marsh girl. Probably crawling with STDS. The words swam through his brain, taking up all the thinking space he had. Just imagining Beverly with all those terrible diseases gave him chills, why would his mom ever say such a thing about his friends? And why the fuck would she pack condoms for her fourteen year old son? 

Eddie closed his door, muffling his mother’s annoying voice. Think good things think good things think good- his mind went to the best thing he had, Richard Tozier. Had any good chucks today, Eds? Eddie smiled at the memory. That was the conversation starter for any conversation him and Richie had ever had. 

“I SAID COME GIVE YOUR MOM A HUG BEFORE WE LEAVE!” Eddie’s thoughts were once again intruded by his mother’s voice. He quickly shoved a few last minute items into his suitcase before flinging his door open and lugging the boulder down the stairs. The bag was probably heavier than him, with all the medication it held. 

“Did you remember blankets?” 

“Yes mom.” Sonia could sense the irritation in Eddie’s voice, and it frightened her. Eddie wasn’t supposed to ever get mad at her. 

“I’m sorry Eddie bear, I just really want to make sure you’re ok at this new school. That’s all.” 

Eddie felt guilty for being upset. Maybe he was in the wrong after all? His mom did agree to let him go, after all. “It’s ok mom, and I love you.” 

He gave her a big hug and kiss before walking out the door, his skinny arms lugging the heavy suitcase down the driveway. “I love you too Eddie! Be safe in the city, okay? Don’t talk to strangers or anything. And remember, don’t do drugs!” 

Eddie was already off to Richie’s house, where the Losers were meeting. Everyone was gathered in the driveway, with plenty of suitcases and bags. It was around five in the morning, and the sun hadn’t come up yet. Maggie Tozier was hauling bags into her minivan, with the help of her husband, Wentworth. 

“Is that all, kiddo?” His dad asked after packing the trunk for thirty minutes. 

“It appears so.” Richie slipped comfortably into the voice of ‘the British guy.’ 

“Alright then. Pile in, kids. It’s gonna be a long ride.” said Wentworth, ushering all of the kids into the van. “Alright Rich, you have fun at high school, ok? But not too much fun, I’m too young to be a grandpa-” 

“weNTWORTH! THAT IS NO WAY TO SPEAK TO OUR SON!” Maggie’s voice was high and shrill, deprived of her morning coffee. 

“He knows i’m just playing.” he said with an eye roll. “Just remember to call us, ok?” 

“Will do, my good sir.” 

The two hugged, and Richie’s dad gave him a good nuggie before returning back into their house. Maggie would be the one making the four hour drive. 

“Everyone in?” she asked, and Richie replied with “sí, señorita,” his horrible spanish accent coming off as slightly racists. Maggie felt herself question why she ever wanted kids in the first place. One kid was bad enough. Yet she had wanted to keep trying for a girl, oh how desperately she wanted a girl. A girl was easy to relate too, easy to teach, easy to love. Richie was just so, Richie. His sense of humor always seemed to puzzle her, and his friends did too. Her and her husband knew Richie was different, but she had no way of letting him know that she knew. Communicating with boys was just so hard for her. She found herself wishing again for a girl, then maybe she wouldn’t be driving 6 boys in her minivan. At least there was one other girl in the car. 

Beverly Marsh found herself wishing she had Richie’s parents. The way his dad had ruffled his hair was just so natural, and she craved so desperately for physical touch that was not sexualized. Thinking back to the days when her father had not scared her always made her sad, reminding her what she could never have again. He’d poisoned their relationship, and she was happy now that she could get away from him. 

Mike’s head was laying on Stanley’s shoulder, resting peacefully against it as the minivan raced down the interstate. Bill found that he couldn’t take his eyes off of it, the simple way it laid there, like his shoulder was meant to be laid on. I wish my head were on his shoulder. He thought to himself, for a brief moment, before remembering that it was wrong. 

Eddie’s fingers brushed against Richie’s, ever so slightly. Eddie felt heat rise in his cheeks and quickly looked out the window of the van, trying to block out Richie completely. Richie had noticed the touch, and he wished it would happen again. 

Beverly sat in the front seat, talking to Maggie Tozier about the best way to manage one’s hair. Oh what she would give to have a mother like Richie’s, so approachable and kind. 

“I like to comb my hair lightly before bed, and braid it so that it doesn’t get all tangled in the night.” she said calmly, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. 

Beverly nodded, but then remembered Maggie was not looking at her and spoke up. “My hair is pretty easy to manage since it’s so short.” 

“I’d imagine! You know, I thought about cutting my hair again, but I’m just afraid I’m too old to pull it off…” 

“Oh that would look wonderful!” Beverly’s manners were always superb around other adults, almost like another personality. 

“You really think so?” 

“I know so!” 

“Alright then, I will cut it! Thank you dear.” 

Beverly’s heart fluttered at the word. Dear. such a simple word, used kindly by an adult in the town of Derry. It was rare not to be called slut, or whore. Dear wasn’t even in the ballpark of names Beverly was used to being called. It was a nice change.

Ben sat patiently, listening closely to Beverly’s conversation with Richie’s mom. It was better than listening to Richie ramble to Eddie about how many reeds he’d be wasting this year. 

“I just don’t understand, like why do I have to learn all my major scales in two months??” Richie complained, no one really paying attention. 

Except for Eddie, who said, “I can help you study if you want” a little too sweetly. 

“Thanks Eds, I owe ya one.” 

“You can pay me back now by not fucking calling me Eds.” 

Mrs. Tozier gasped in shock. “Richard! Language!” 

Eddie burst into laughter, and Richie’s jaw dropped. “It wasn’t me, mom! I swear!” 

She just shook her head as she continued to drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> richie was me freshmen year complaining to my friends about scales


	3. The Elevator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Losers arrive at their new school, and get their dorms!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if these next few chapters are more spread out, sophomore year is ending me on a whole new level 
> 
> Also I don't really care that this fic flopped bc I really like it and I'm pouring what's left of my heart from It Chapter Two into it because I love you alllll

“We’re here!” said Mrs. Tozier. She had hardly any emotion left in her voice, and tried her best not to show it. They were parked in the parking deck below the school, and Maggie Tozier needed a nap as soon as possible. Truthfully, she was happy to get seven teenagers out of her van. 

“Finally.” Richie said in a horrible excuse of an Australian accent. “I was beginning to think we’re just gonna keep drivin’ foreva! Almost spit the dummy!” 

“Ew Richie- just ew.” Eddie cried as he climbed out of the van. “Your Australian voice is even worse than your British.” 

“I’ve heard just about enough out of you mate, you’d best pull your head in.”

“I have no idea what that means.” 

Stan rolled his eyes in disgust. “Stop pretending to be Steve Irwin, Richard. He’s dead for a reason.” 

This earned a collective “bruh” from most of the group. 

“Don’t you go hatin on my boy Steve Irwin. Richie is obviously the problem here, not him.” Mike said with a small life. 

“Oh my bad.” Stanley replied, with great emphasis on the word ‘my.’ 

Mike smiled back at him, and they both laughed in response. 

“A-alright. L-l-let’s get m-moving.” Bill said gloomly. 

“Yes! Let’s go boys, and er- Bev.” Mrs. Tozier lead the way out, and all eight of them crammed into the small elevator. Ben stood behind Beverly, watching her closely. Graceful, beautiful, charming, charismatic, loyal, energetic. He was trying to find the right adjective to describe her, one he would later use in a short poem for class. 

“You’re a candle in the darkness, a light flame in the night. A starry sky, illuminating the treachories of space. Your skin is the pale moonlight. You are glass, unbroken despite the tragedies around you. A beacon of hope, still shining through the worst of fright-” 

Ding. The losers stepped out of the elevator into the lobby of BBHSFTA, and walked over to the first desk in sight. 

“Hello, I’m Mrs. Bates. I’m the secretary here at Boston Betty Herman School for the Arts.” 

“Hi Mrs. Bates. I’m here to get these kids all settled in this year-” Richie quickly lost interest in listening to his mother’s voice. Instead, his eyes travelled to the boy next to him. Eddie and his maroon jacket. Eddie and his eye bags, because he was ‘too nervous’ to fall asleep in the car. Eddie and his new brown fanny pack, which hung loosely over his jacket. His beaded “hufflepuff” bracelet. Stan had made them all Hogwarts houses bracelets back in 7th grade, Eddie was the only one who still wore his. Eddie and his small chest, the way it moved up and down with each breath, as if it were trying it’s very best every single time, the way it could stop along with the whole world if anything slightly inconveniencing happened. 

“Richard!” His mom had snapped at him. How long had he been ignoring her? 

“You’re rooming with Eddie. And some kid named Derek.” 

“Okay mom.” 

Apparently all of the Losers had found out their roommates by the time they got back onto the elevator, this time towing all of their luggage behind them. 

They arrived at their new room, and when Richie opened the door he was overwhelmed by the urge to vomit at the strong smell of axe body spray. 

“Hey man! Mind closing the door? The lights are too loud.” the musky roommate hollered from across the room. 

“What does that even mean?” Eddie whispered to Richie, genuinely confused. 

“The dude is probably high as a kite, my friend.” Richie whispered back. 

Maggie was noticeably uncomfortable, and used this awkward moment to let out a little cough, signalling to Richie that she would be leaving. 

“Well good luck dear. Please do remember to call, and have a good year. Remember, we’ll be checking your grades. The minute your gpa gets lowered by all these arts classes You’ll be out of here.” 

“I know mom-” 

“Alright then.” she gave him a small kiss on the head. “I’ll see you at Christmas, Richie.” 

“You too, mom.” he closed the door behind her. 

“I call dibs on top bunk.” Eddie said cheerfully when Maggie was gone. 

“I knew you were a top!” yelled the derek kid. 

“What? I don’t get it-” 

“You don’t have to.” Richie cut in. “How bout you go back to playing fortnite or whatever the fuck you’re doin there, pal.” 

“Woah, calm down there bro. I’m just tryna lighten the mood. I’ve been here three days already, and lemme tell ya, it get’s pretty boring.” 

“I bet.” Eddie tried his best to sound interested. 

“Yup.” Derek didn’t seem to notice. Richie got closer to him, and realized not only that he was playing fortnite, but also that he had bright lime green hair and ugly wire framed glasses. He looked like the living embodiment of a minecraft creeper, and it wasn’t just the zip up creeper hoodie he was wearing. This dude was lanky, and his legs dangled over the edge of a foldable chair. He wore grey sweatpants too, and one blue sock. This seemed to really pull the look together. 

“When do classes start anyways?” Richie asked curiously. No parents around meant it was prime party time. 

“Two days from today.” Derek replied shortly. “Also classes are in the left wing, I can give you guys a tour later if ya want.” 

“That would actually be really nice.” Eddie said with a smile. 

“Alright. You guys can bone already, I could practically smell the sexual tension when you walked through the door.” He seemed unfazed by his words. 

Eddie felt his cheeks flush hot, and he quickly turned away from Richie.

“I’m surprised you could smell anything over the body spray. I know this is hard coming from me, but man let me tell you. You can’t replace a shower with body spray.” 

“Oh shut the fuck up. I’m almost done this round. Then we can decorate this trash heap of a room.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooooo I was thinking of asking my friend to homecoming, in a no hetero strictly romantic way because I really like her, but then my plan was foiled. My other friend told me she was asking her, as friends, in a really cool spiderman themes way. I know, Alexa blast hot girl bummer. But then, like a fanfiction trope, my friend (that I like) asks me to homecoming. As friends. fml.   
so now my friend is still gonna ask her even though she asked me. It's very weird.   
The point is I'll probably write a homecoming chapter because coping from It Chapter two and real life. 
> 
> And I'm almost finished the goldfinch and it's so good. Ok bye


	4. The Night Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really need to rush this a little so I can fit in a homecoming chapter for actual homecoming!!   
Sorry this update is a bit late, don't worry though because I have some more chapters already reddie to post

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is starting soon I promise!!

Eddie, Richie, and the new kid Derek had finished decorating their room. Despite his best efforts, Eddie was unable to really clean up the mess. There were two rooms, connected by a doorway. Derek had already plastered the door with stickers ranging from “suck my dick” to literally a picture of Miranda Cosgrove. The bedroom had a bunk bed and a twin size bed, which Derek had already taken. There was a small desk, which would never be used for homework, and a small tv. The other room was a tiny little bathroom, painted the worst shade of yellow you can imagine. 

They were lucky. Only the older dorm rooms had bathrooms connected to them. The newer rooms all had to share the community bathroom at the end of the hallway. 

“I’m goin’ out.” Derek announced as he pulled his green creeper hoodie over his head. 

“K bye.” Richie called from his bed. 

“Wait- we’re not supposed to go out after dark.” Eddie said timidly. He’d heard his mother talk about how kids went missing in the city, and he didn’t want to find out if she was lying or not.

“Ok mom. I’m just going across to see all the other freshmen. Maybe I can find a date for homecoming.” 

“Homecoming?” 

“Yeah… never heard of it?” Derek had a way of liking to make people feel stupid. 

“No- I mean, I have heard of it. I just don’t know why you care about homecoming already. It’s not until the end of October.” 

“Listen. I gotta be on my A game if I’m gonna score a date with the hot chick in room 103. I saw her goin in there yesterday, had the best blonde hair I’ve ever seen. And I haven’t even gotten started on the rest of her… Like damn.” 

Eddie almost gagged. “Really dude? Really?” 

“Hell yeah! I heard her name is Greta or something. Maybe Gretchen? Eh who cares. I’m out.” Derek Naruto ran out of the room, actually believing he had a chance with Greta. 

“Did he say Greta was here?” Richie asked, surprisingly not in accent. 

“God I hope not. Then again, there could be plenty of other people named Greta.” 

“True. We shouldn’t assume it’s Greta Bowie.” 

It was. Greta Bowie was rooming with two people she never thought she’d see again. Beverly Marsh, and Betty Rimpson. 

The three girls had hardly spoken to each other since they’d stepped foot into the room. Beverly had secretly called down to the front desk and asked to change rooms. They didn’t let her. 

“So. What department are you guys in?” Beverly asked, trying desperately to make conversation. 

“Musical Theatre, of course.” Greta practically spat at her. 

“I’m here for guitar.” Betty said simply. 

Beverly was about to respond before she was cut off by a loud knock on the door. A hard knock, for someone with the body mass of a cricket. It sounded like the FBI was trying to beat down the door. 

“I’ll get it.” Greta said bitterly. She flung the door open to reveal none other than Derek the crackhead himself. 

“I-I-I” suddenly the boy was stuttering worse than Bill Denbrough. 

“Ew.” Greta uttered before slamming the door. 

Beverly rolled her eyes, not believing the sight in front of her. Suddenly her phone lit up, revealing a message from Ben Hanscom.

Ben: Hey, how’s your roommates? 

Bev: Awful. I have to room with fucking Greta. 

Ben: Greta Bowie? From Derry middle?

Bev: Yup. that’s the one

Ben: oof. I’m sorry.

Bev: thanks. Wanna meet up? 

Ben: Yeah! When? 

Bev: now. Meet me at the lobby in 5

Ben: see you then :) 

Derek barged back into his dorm to find Richie and Eddie playing fortnite with his controllers. 

“Bitches. Get yo crusty ass hands off my Gucci controllers.” 

“Not way man, I’m about to beat Eddie!” 

“WE’RE ON THE SAME TEAM DICKWAD!” 

“Whatever. Greta slammed the door on my face, but it’s fine because I’ll just woe her tomorrow.”

“You probably weren’t wearing enough body spray.” Richie said under his breath. This earned a giggle from Eddie, causing Richie to smile back at him. 

“Eyes on the game! We gotta get the shopping cart before anyone else does!” 

Ben left right away to meet Beverly in the lobby. He was dorming with Bill, and some kid named Adrian. The two didn’t seem to mind as he slipped through the door, pulling a gray hoodie over his head in the process. He stumbled into the wall, and tried to brush it off like nothing happened. It was to no avail though, because he heard sharp giggles from across the hall. 

“Dude, you ok?” asked the voice of what sounded like a guy. 

“Yeah, just tripped a little.” Ben replied, still flustered. 

“Hey so you’re Adrian’s roommate, right? I’ve been lookin all around for his room…” 

“Yeah, right this way.” Ben pointed back at the door he’d left open. 

“Thanks. I’m Don, by the way. Creative writer.” 

“Ben, also a writer. I’ll be seeing you around, then.” 

“I guess so.” The kid, Don Hagarty, was pretty tall. He was lanky too, but his shoulders were broader than most kids, and it looked like he could be muscular one day if he tried. His brown hair was neatly combed, and he had a nice smile. Great, allll the girls must be after this guy. Ben thought to himself as he walked away. The sound of Don knocking on the door echoed through the halls, much quieter than the excited “DONNN!!!” that Adiran shrieked out when he opened the door. 

Ben smiled fondly as he made his way to the elevator, he was on his way to meet Beverly Marsh, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ADRIAN AND DON ARE GETTING WHAT THEY DESERVED k bye


	5. Where for Art Thou Eddio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie being a dumb mess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why is school so hard oh my god 
> 
> also sorry if this is hard to read, I may or may not have crammed a lot of stuff into this chapter!

The first few weeks of school had gone by in a flash. The Losers often found themselves missing the easier days at Derry Middle, where they could play after school without worrying about doing their homework on time. Although the academic adjustment was hard on them all, Richie seemed to crash down the hardest. 

He was second chair, since there were only five saxophones in the whole band. Much less than a regular school would have. He found himself humming melodies in class to try to remember the correct rhythms. Music Theory was even worse, though. Every afternoon Eddie had to do flashcards with him just so he could stay caught up. It was practically a nightmare, since the boy had never studied a day in his life. 

“C sharp is…” 

“A sharp minor?” 

“Yup. and D major is…” 

“B minor.” 

“We love relative minors.” Eddie joked as he shuffled the flashcards for the fifth time. 

“Oh yes we do. Just wait for interval dictation, I’ve heard it’s even worse.” 

“Yeah, since you’re tone deaf.” Eddie was laying on his stomach, sprawled across the filthy floor. This didn’t seem to bother him, though. Being with Richie tended to distract him from… other things. 

“Not true! See, I’ll sing a pitch right now.” 

“Do re mi-” he sustained the last pitch, or at least tried too. 

“No, no no no. You’re saying mi but you’re singing fa!” 

Richie smirked, and Eddie looked away from him abruptly. “Oh dear sweet Eddie, my one and true love, if only I had your angelic voice-” 

“Oh shut up, Richie.” 

The other Losers had found that life at the arts school was actually ok. Stan and Mike were roommates, and they shared a room with a violinist named Eddie Corcoran. Richie had refused to call him “Eddie,” and insisted “He’s Edward. There’s only one true Eddie Spaghetti.” The other Losers had confirmed that that was in fact bullying, and so they tried their best to keep Richie away from him. This was hard, though. Richie and Stan are best friends, despite what Stan always said. 

The first day of school had gone and went, much like the rest of September. Most of the Losers had classes together, so things seemed to be going smoothly. Eddie was still helping Richie pass musicianship, and even started going to his performances. 

“It’s the third week of school, why do I have a concert alreadyyyy” Richie had complained to Eddie, who listened carefully. 

Richie had stayed after school in the practice rooms countless nights, until he was eventually kicked out at curfew. Derek had taken these opportunities to bore Eddie with his countless compliments for Greta Bowie. 

“She’s just sooooo pretty! Have you seen those legs? Like damnn” 

“Are you actually talking to me? Because it sounds like you’re tweeting in real life.” 

“Oh shut up. Just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate some nice tits.” 

“Actually it does. And I’m not gay.” Eddie was getting flustered, so he tried to think of something other than being gay. His eyes fell on Richie’s things. His dirty Hawaiian shirt on the floor, his vinyls sprawled out under his bed. His Queen poster, his red fuzzy blanket… oh fuck. 

“Whatever you say, man.” Derek ate some doritos out of a bag that had been abandoned on the floor days ago. Eddie himself had seen a spider or two go into the bag, but couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. The sight of Derek consuming this made him want to violently throw up. 

“So guess what?” 

“What?” Eddie said with no enthusiasm, still recovering from the spiders. 

“I got Greta to add me on fortnite! She played mobil with me yesterday, it was truly amazing. But then fortnite fucking crashed and now I cant play anything. Like what in the actual fuck? I’ve spent at least $70 on this game alone, and this crash is making me regret it all-” 

Eddie started drowning him out, distracted once again by Richie’s things. His music scattered by his music stand, propped up against the sad little tv stand. The countless mixtapes stacked by his walkmen. Eddie remembered 6th grade, when-

The Losers had marched down the hallways of Derry Middle School with little regard for other people’s opinions. Eddie had been holding Richie’s hand, the way two friends would do in 6th grade. Richie was humming something, and he had his new walkmen clutched in his unoccupied hand. Well, new wasn’t the right word. His father had given him the walkmen, along with some empty cassettes and other music. The 80s music was garbage to Eddie, and everytime Richie played it for him he tried his best to sound interested. This day had been no different from the rest. 

“Hey Rich, whatcha listening too?” his prepubescent voice had cracked horribly, but richie surprisingly didn’t seem to notice. 

“Oh it’s nothing really, Eddie spaghetti. Just your mixtape.” 

“My what?” 

“Your mixtape! Maybe one day I’ll let you listen to it.” 

There was something about the casual way Richie had mentioned it, the way his glasses had enlarged his big eyes so when he winked at Eddie, his heart fluttered in his chest. Their hands were still connected when Henry Bowers gang had walked by. 

“Stop spreading your fairy dust around the halls, fags.” Henry had said cooly. At the time he had an embarrassing excuse of a mullet, grown out a few inches over the previous 5th grade summer. 

Richie had practically thrown Eddie’s hand away from his, and quickly walked away from the situation. 

Eddie stood there, stunned. Henry glared down at him, and through clenched teeth, muttered this. “You stay away from that fairy boy, wheezy. I’ll break your fucking arm if I see any of that gay shit around here again. Ya hear?” 

“Y-y-yes.” and with that Eddie raced down the hall, trying desperately to find his best friend. 

Now Eddie stood, stunned by the sight in front of him. Richie’s walkmen stood a stack of cassettes. One, written in red ink, had For Eddie on the front. The tracklist was full of songs he didn’t know. Eddie quickly snatched it up, and hid it under his own bed, in his suitcase from the first day. 

“Maybe I’ll just listen to the songs on youtube some day” Eddie said to himself, accidently out loud. Derek, still eating nasty, stale, floor chips didn’t seem to notice. 

Each day homecoming grew nearer and nearer, and Eddie began scheming how he’d ask Richie to go with him. Maybe just ask him in the halls? Or make a minecraft sign? Richie would surely appreciate any of those gestures… wouldn’t he? 

Stan, Mike, and Eddie Coran were all too busy with their arts to notice the homecoming hysteria. One day Richie went into Stan’s room to talk to him about Eddie, shocked to find that he was already there talking to Mike. 

“Has anybody seen my extra D string? Mine broke and I need to replace it…’’ Eddie Coran asked frantically as he dug apart his bed. 

“I’ll let you play my D string anytime, Eds.” Richie winked at Eddie, and he blushed madly. 

“whAT?” Eddie Coran asked fearfully. 

It dawned on Richie in about two seconds that Eddie Coran thought he was talking to him. “Oh my god Eddie I’m so sorry-” 

Eddie Kaspbrak was laughing hysterically, and even Stan giggled some. Mike just shook his head in disgust. 

“I moved your violin stuff under your bed, Eddie. I hope you don’t mind, I just like organizing things.” Stan said quietly as the laughter died down. 

“Uhh thanks I guess?” Eddie peaked under his bed, and saw his lost belongings. “I’m gonna go to the cafe. Anyone want anything?” 

The losers shook their heads, and Eddie shrugged. “Alright then, see you in a few.” 

Looking back, Richie had no idea that this would be the last time he ever saw poor Eddie Coran. Maybe he would’ve treated him better, or would’ve made that god awful D string joke if he’d known. If only someone had known what his fate was destined to be, maybe someone could’ve prevented the tragic death of a thirteen year old boy. Some things will always be left unknown, a well known concept for Richie Tozier. 

“Mom, I’m really scared. It’s been days since anyone’s seen this kid. And in the big city? Who know’s where he could be…” 

“Oh Richie, do you want me to come get you or something?” 

“...no. I- I just want to know that he’s gonna be ok, that’s all. The last thing I ever said to him was some corny violin joke. I just wanna now that I can apologize to him.” 

“You know Richie, everything happens for a reason.” 

“Really mom? Some kid gets kidnapped and you say ‘everything happens for a reason?’ The whole fucking orchestra is crying their eyes out, and we just had an assembly yesterday about him… It’s only a matter of time until his corpse turns up in some dumpster!” 

“Don’t talk like that Richard! Look, I’m sorry I yelled at you. Just stay safe, ok? Your father says hi by the way. I gotta go, but stay safe. Stay with your friends. Don’t go out alone. Don’t be stupid.” 

“Wow, love ya too.” 

Eddie had been listening to Richie’s frantic call to his mom, wondering if he should do the same. On one hand, he really needed his mom’s comfort in this time of pain. On the other hand, his mom would probably take him out of school. So Eddie did the only thing he could do, he pretended nothing was wrong. 

Most of the Losers, hell, the rest of the school, followed in their footsteps. In a few weeks, Eddie Coran was a forgotten name. The homecoming hysteria eventually resurfaced, and so Eddie was pushed aside, his missing poster replaced with a homecoming flyer. 

“S-s-should I ask someone?” Bill asked Stan one day after school. 

“Yeah, go for it!” Stan was writing an essay, so his attention wasn’t really on Bill. 

“I’m n-not sure this p-p-person will say y-yes.” Bill was watching Stan closely, trying to hint at his affection. 

“They’re r-r-really b-beautiful, and I’m j-just worried they’re out of my l-league.” 

At this, Stan looked up from his laptop. “They’d be crazy to say no, Bill.”

“Y-you t-think so?” 

“I know so!” 

“T-thanks Stan.” 

Bill looked away quickly, trying to process his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow that escalated quickly   
also when I wrote the first half fortnite was dead don't @ me   
(idk if it's still dead or not but I don't care enough to find out)


	6. Yo It's Hoco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aka each and every one of the losers being a jealous bitch (ok more like Richie, Stan, and Bill but you get it) 
> 
> Hey so uhh yeah sorry this is soooo late but I will be updating sooner now! also I had to break this into two parts since it's a long one, so except next chapter to come out in a few days! Love you alll <333

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the introduction of Robert Gray, basically a pp head 
> 
> (sorry if this chapter is choppy and or bounces around a lot it took me a big month to write so you know it's a bit chaotic)

The Losers had no idea how fast time flies when you’re constantly stressed, depressed, and obsessed with the arts. Each and every one of them was cursed with the burden of homework every night. They found themselves quiet at lunch, doing extra homework instead of gossiping. Even the Trashmouth was uncharacteristically silent the majority of the time. The only Loser who seemed to breaks the realms of stress was Mike Hanlon. Somehow this Manlon found time to get his groove on with an ultra fine person such as Betty Ripson. 

Mike and Betty Ripson’s relationship had started relatively quickly, too. They’d never really talked in middle school, but something about the new environment they were in made them come out of their shell. He’d asked her out a few weeks prior to the dance, and she’d agreed without hesitation. Since then, they’d snuck off campus every night, exploring the city hand in hand. Betty had been the one to ask him out, playing one of his favorite songs for him on the guitar, singing softly to him. He’d agreed eagerly, and that was the night of their first kiss. 

“So when did you and Betty get so close?” Stan had asked him one day in bio. It was the only class all of the losers had together, and it was where they talked the most. Much to the dislike of their teacher, Mr. Gray. 

“Oh you know how these things go, spur of the moment kind of thing,” Mike responded dreamily. 

“For sure,” Stan responded, making that face at Richie. 

“Hey S-Stan, can y-you give m-me the n-n-notes from yesterday?” asked Bill. Him, Stan, Mike, and Richie all sat at a table together. Probably not the best decision. 

“Yeah sure, here.” Stan handed him his neatly written notes, and Bill took them gratefully. Sure, it was a bad attempt to get Stan to talk to him, but it was all he had. He'd do anything to get Stan to talk to him again, and not spend all his time talking to Mike. Something about Stan’s relationship with Mike just didn’t sit right with Bill. Sure, he was listening to him explain that he had a new girlfriend, but the way Stan watched, intrigued by Mike’s dating life was something Bill couldn’t get over. Stan certainly didn’t act this way when Bill told him Audra liked him... 

It didn’t matter anyways, because homecoming night was spent in separation. Mike spent the dance with Betty, making out with her in the school bathroom as the sophomores vaped in the surrounding stalls. 

Greta Bowie asked Eddie to homecoming, and he had reluctantly agreed. Richie had cried to Stan about it one day in a practice room, and Stan had just rubbed his shoulders as his best friend complained. 

“Like I’m not gay, but I wish I would’ve asked Eddie to homecoming.” Richie finally admitted. 

“Oh yeah, no homo for sure.” Stan said, trying to stifle a laugh. 

Bill never got the chance to ask Stan to homecoming, because a theatre kid named Audra Phillips asked him instead. Her curly red hair hung at her shoulders, and she was a bit short for her age. She was pretty nonetheless, so he agreed. They spent the dance awkwardly dancing with each other. Stan stood by the wall, watching all of his friends and their dates. The slow dance was particularly the worst, because he watched Audra lean in to kiss Bill. When had Audra and Bill gotten so close? The last time Bill told him about her, she was just someone who liked him, not someone he liked back. He squeezed his eyes shut, turning to his best friend beside him. 

“Stupid Greta just tried to kiss Eddie, but he turned his face away.” Richie said bitterly. 

“Is that so?” Stanley said halfheartedly. Watching Bill was killing him, so he excused himself from the trashmouth and went to go cry in the bathroom. Tears were starting to swell in his eyes, and he couldn’t quite figure out why. Bill was his friend after all, and he should be happy that he found someone he likes. 

When he pushed open the bathroom door, he ran smack dab into Mike Hanlon, in the middle of a frisky makeout sesh. Betty Ripson quickly apologized, and Stan immediately walked out of the room. After a brief moment of shock, he wiped his eyes dry and walked back over to Richie. 

“Hey Tozier, wanna dance?” he asked with the bravest face he could muster. 

“I knew you loved me! Let’s go Uris, the dance floor is a waitin’!” Richie cracked a huge smile and dragged Stan to the dance floor, losing his horrible accent along the way. 

They slow danced naturally, a few feet away from the rest of their friends. 

Eddie watched sadly as Richie wrapped his hands around Stanley’s waist. Greta noticed he wasn’t looking at her, and stomped on his foot. 

Richie dragged Stan to the punch bowls just as some Cardi B song started blasting through the speakers. 

“This is my chance man, I’m gonna be top dog around here if everyone knows I spiked the punch!” Richie said excitedly, pulling a random flask from his jacket. 

Stan’s eyes grew wide with worry. “Richie, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea-” 

“No way, man. I wonder how Eddie will see me if he knows I did it!” Richie dragged Stan further to the bowl. 

“Are you crazy? Or did you already have some? You know Eddie would think that was the grossest health code violation in existence, right?” Stan practically laughed in his face. 

“Whatever. At least I won’t be a band geek anymore if I’m seen doing this.” 

“Hey, is that what this is all about? We’re not at Derry middle anymore, man. Nobody cares about that stuff anymore. I mean, seriously. The popular kids here are theatre kids for goodness sake. Since when did popularity mean so much to you, anyways?” 

Richie thought for a moment, and Stan could practically smell the alcohol coming from his breath. “I dunno, probably when Eddie and Beverly got so popular.” 

“Dude, Eddie is not that popular.” 

“Really? He’s dating Greta now and-” 

“I think we both know he doesn’t want to date Greta.” Stan took Richie’s hand, trying to grab at the flask. “And, if there’s anything you want to tell me, I’m all ears. The way you act around Eddie is getting kind of crazy. I know you’re not “gay” but if you were, you should no I am too.” Stan felt his heart in his throat, and he wiped his sweaty palms onto his shirt. His OCD started kicking in, and he hadn’t realized he’d been wiping his palms for much longer than usual. 

“Stan the man? A homosexual? I would’ve never guessed. Truthfully.” Richie almost shouted. He was beaming though, and Stan knew it was his horrible way of showing he cared. 

“Oh shut up Tozier.” 

“Well, since sharing is caring and all, you should know that I am indeed a bisexual.” 

“Oh really? I would’ve never guessed.” Stan mocked with glee. 

“Who’s the annoying one now?” Richie said with a laugh. 

After a moment of laughter, Stan returned to his normal serious tone. “Now, stop worrying about Eddie, man. Just be yourself, as much as it hurts me to say it. He’ll like you if you don’t do stupid shit like spiking the punch bowl to impress him. 

“Who said anything about me liking the spaghetti man?” Richie said awkwardly. 

“Oh c’mon. We all know you two have liked each other since like forever.” 

“Ok, you wanna go there Uris? Then tell me about Mr.Denbrough, and why he’s all “Oh Stan look at me, I’m so neglected, I need you” in bio class.” He did a horrible high pitched voice when imitating Bill. “Or- “Oh Stan, listen to me talk about my girlfriend while I secretly pine over you” Hanlon” His Mike impression was very low, and it kinda freaked Stan out for a second. 

“Cut it out, Rich. None of them like me, so it doesn’t even matter.” Stan said sadly. 

“Bruh, did you not just hear what I said? They BOTH obviously like you!” Richie was practically shaking his fists at Stan. 

Just then Derek came up to them, sporting a green tuxedo, his lime green hair not quite matching with his grown out roots. “Can you guys believe Greta asked out fucking EDDIE?!? Like wth!” 

“Man, go complain somewhere else.” Richie said obnoxiously. 

“I literally can’t. I tried talking to Don, but Adrian was attached to his face.” 

“Tmi, dude.” Stan was never good at the “dude” lingo. 

They chatted for awhile, and everything seemed ok. Stan was happy to have come out to Richie, and was even happier that Richie admitted his bisexuality. Now their conversations would no longer have to end in “no homo tho.” 

As Derek had said, Don and Adrian were in fact making out in the hallway, just as Ben Hanscom brushed past them. Don and Ben had become pretty good friends over the year so far, mostly because they sat next to each other in basically every class. Admittedly, it was awkward for Ben to see his friend making out with someone, but then again, people were kissing just about anywhere you looked. 

Eddie had become good friends with Adrian, which of course made Richie un poco jealous. Curse his stupid dumb freshmen hormones. Anyways, Adrian was in musical theatre with Eddie, but wanted to switch departments to creative writing. He couldn't admit whether it was because he was passionate about writing or because he wanted to see his boyfriend more. He was pleased to hear that Eddie was nominated for homecoming king, along with himself. 

Stan read the voting card, almost shocked at the names. “Maybe you were right about Mr. Popular, Richie. Eddie’s nominated for homecoming king!” 

“Man, what the fuck. First Greta and now this?” Derek spat with jealousy. 

“Good for him!” Richie said excitedly, pulling a complete 180 from his attitude earlier. 

Beverly Marsh was talking to her bio teacher, Mr. Grey, when Ben Hanscom approached them. 

“Hi Mr. Gray, can I speak to Beverly for a moment?” he asked, politely. 

“It’s ‘may’ I speak to Beverly. Besides, Mr. Hanscom, you were just the person I wanted to talk too. You see, I’ve noticed that you and Mrs. Marsh have been sneaking off campus during ungodly hours of the night. Aren’t you aware of what happened to that poor boy Eddie Corcoran? Being outside is just not safe, right now. If I see it happen again I’ll have no choice but to report you to the headmaster, resulting in immediate expulsion. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes Mr. Gray,” The two said in unison. 

“Very good, now, if you’ll excuse me, it appears some incel is trying to spike the punch.” with that, he was off, leaving the two alone for the first time that night. 

“Damn, how did he find out? Mike and Betty leave every night but we’re the ones to be caught?” Bev said angrily. 

“I know right? I’m kind of scared now, who knows when he’s watching us.” Ben said eerily. 

“Mr. Tozier! What are you doing holding a flask on school property?” Mr. Grey asked furiously. Stan coward away in fear, and Derek fled the scene. 

“Would you believe me if I told you this was water?” His voice cracked midway through his sentence, faltering his usual charm. 

“My office. Now.” Robert Gray grabbed his hand and practically dragged him out of the busy cafeteria. 

“Oh shit!” Stan muttered to himself, rushing to find Eddie. He’d know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yooooo Richie? Are you ok?? Have I not planned that far yet and have no idea if Richie's ok or not? yes.
> 
> And leave some comments guys!! I would very much like to hear your valuable feedback! 
> 
> also "Holding a flask on school property" like he's not a minor with alcohol but that the school is worse????? I think me criticizing my own bad writing is where I'm gonna draw the line here guys, it's 1 am and I'm big tired


	7. Big Uh Oh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sksksksk did I write this in the AMs? Yes. Yes I did

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I Am Not Ok With This was so good!! Like I had mixed feelings about Syd but fricken Stanley Barber and Dina were the shit. Absolutely loved it!!! (I’ve already drawn so much fan art oh god)

It had officially been two weeks since the disappearance of Richie Tozier, or more accurately, two weeks since Eddie Kaspbrak had been able to sleep. Every night he laid in bed, staring up towards the ceiling, not daring to look at Richie’s abandoned belongings. Every day was worse then the last, and every day Eddie missed Richie even more. His messy hair, his cracked lenses, his humor, his Hawaiian shirts, ect. One night he’d even stooped low enough to cuddle one of Richie’s infamous Hawaiian shirts. This was the only night he was able to sleep. 

To make matters worse, Eddie knew much more about Richie’s current state than any of the other losers. Two days after the disappearance, he walked to the principal’s office, asking for an update on the situation. Maggie and Wentworth Tozier were seated in front of the principal’s desk, crying their eyes out. Two police officers were explaining to them that the first 72 hours were crucial, and the only shot they had at finding him. Four days after that the school had received a call from Sonia Kaspbrak, who “knew about the situation and wanted her son back immediately.” News of Richie’s disappearance had spread around little Derry like wildfire. Stan’s parents were the next to call. 

The Losers gradually separated. Coping with the loss of Richie was something they could not do together. Stan often snuck down to the music floor during lunch, crying in the empty middle practice room. Richie was his best friend, and he wished he had told him before the whole ordeal. Bill ate in the library with Ben, both of them solving their problems with excessive emotional poetry. Mike would sneak out into the city with Betty Rimson, unafraid of the consequences. Richie’s early demise had taught him not to take life for granted. Beverly ate lunch with Eddie, in Eddie’s room. They technically weren’t allowed in there during school hours, but most of the staff let it slide, feeling sorry for the unlucky bunch. 

Well, there was one teacher who did mind the grief. One teacher who actually added to the workload, quote on quote “distracting the kids from their loss with homework.” This same guy let nothing slide, and charged anyone doing anything remotely wrong with detention. The one and only biology teacher, Mr. Gray. 

Some kids noticed that Mr. Gray was kind of… strange. During lunch detentions he would stare kids right in the eye, no hesitation. Great Bowie even once claimed he smelled her hair once, but Beverly didn’t really believe her.

On this particular day at lunch, Beverly and Eddie sat cross legged in front of Richie’s un made bed. 

“We should, erm, go through his stuff. Like, what if there’s a clue or something? The police didn’t even look through his stuff.” Beverly said awkwardly, not making eye contact with Eddie. Poor Eddie, she knew he liked Richie, more than any of the others. She couldn’t imagine how he felt. 

“Bev, that’s a bad idea. I don’t feel right about-“   
Eddie started nervously picking at his nails. 

“It’s ok, Eddie. Let’s do this for Richie, because someone has to put in the effort to find him.” 

“I- I guess so.” Eddie said reluctantly. 

It took almost the whole lunch period, but Eddie had finally found the item he hadn’t forgotten- the mixtape. “For Eddie” was written on top, and Eddie traces over the words with his finger. Richie’s handwriting. He didn’t know if he’d ever see it again.

“We’ll go on, play it!” Beverly urged, intrigued by the mixtape. 

“Oh, I dunno. If Richie wanted me to have it he would’ve given it to me. Don’t you think?” 

“No way man. He wanted you to have this. It’s why your name is on it.” Beverly said with a smile. She took the fragile cassette from Eddie’s hand, and popped it into Richie’s record player. 

“Hey that’s his-“ Eddie started, but the sound of Richie’s voice cut him off. 

“Eddie, Eddie spaghetti, this is for you I guess. It’s really important, so *laughs* sorry- it’s hard for me to be serious. *pause* well, anyways, if you’re listening to this, I’m probably dead, or almost dead.” His voice was shaky, even in the mediocre audio it stood out. 

Beverly and Eddie looked at each other, almost in tears. 

“But, at least with this you can find me. I have a theory, as I usually do, because I’m awesome-“

“I wish he’d get to the point.” Beverly admitted, slightly annoyed. 

“Shut up!” Eddie said loudly. The hypocrisy. 

“So here it goes. Mr. Bob Gray, bobity boi, Señor boneronia was the last seen person with the dead fake Eddie, Corcoran, who mysteriously vanished earlier this year. Now, you may be thinking, ‘Richie, how do you know this?’ Which is definitely a valid question. I know this because I saw it happen. During bio, Mr. Gray caught me cheating off of poor pretend Eddie, which I’ll admit wasn’t my finest moment. *laughs* anyways, we both were given lunch detention, as you might recall. So, I show up, and Eddster isn’t there. I ask Mr. Shady where he might be, and you know what he does? *yells* THIS MOTHERFUCKER WINKS AT ME! He says ‘don’t worry about that, I know you were the one who was causing trouble, not him.’ So at this point in very scared, peeing my pants on a spiritual level, and then this motherfucker has the audacity to stare me dead in my enlarged eyes. W h o d o e s t h a t? Long story short, next day rolls around and poor Eddie is MIA. *voice cracks* I was too scared to tell the cops. *pause* Eddie, I know you’ll believe me. This man is shady, and needs to be stopped. He knows I’m investigating him, because he raided my notes one day in class claiming that I had ‘obscene images’ drawn on it. And lastly, on a completely unrelated note, if I am missing or whatever, even dead, I want you Eds to know that I really like you. *voice cracks* In that way, you know. I left you another tape in my shirt drawer, it has songs on it for you. I like you yes homo. Oh my god! That feels so good to say! I hope you never have to hear this, or that I can explain everything to you when I get enough evidence, but I’ll never know. Speaking of evidence, that’s also in my shirt drawer. I like Eddie Kaspbrak! God I hope Derek doesn’t find this. Good bye my love, sleep tight knowing you’ll probably never hear this. Yours truly, Richardo” 

Eddie was crying, clutching to another Hawaiian shirt. “ I like you too Richie oh god oh-“ he was in hysterics, crying harder than he’d ever before. Beverly comforted him, rubbing his shoulders and letting him lean into her lap. After a few minutes she sent a group text to the Losers, Richie’s icon without the green light. 

Bev: GUYS COME TO RICHIE AND EDDIE’S ROOM IT’S AN EMERGENCY!!! 

Ben: on my way! Bill is with me 

Stan: be there soon, Mr. Gray is walking towards me. Probably gonna get capped 

Bev: STAN NO GET AWAY FROM HIM!! 

But like Richie, his green light stopped glowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh 
> 
> (I hope you guys understood the discord/ instagram green light thingy I’m a bad writer so I didn’t know how to explain it well whoopsie)
> 
> p.s next chapters about to be a new breed of wack


	8. The Manhole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all comin together! I hope this chapter clears up some things 
> 
> Also more chapters coming soon because corona!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick warning, sad boi hours ahead. Eddie needs a break

The remaining Losers all raced to Eddie’s room, where Beverly had announced that they had news. However, when Ben and Bill arrived, Beverly screamed at them that they needed to find Stan. Eddie was in no shape to hunt down his friend, so he curled into a ball and cried on the floor. He was still clutching that damn Hawaiian shirt, pretending it was Richie. Oh god, Richie. He liked him so much he may have even loved him. It was too late now though because he had heard what the cops had said. It had been almost a week, and after the first three days, missing kids are goners. 

“EDDIE, STAY HERE,” Beverly yelled in his face. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way another one of his friends could be going missing. 

“W-w-w-what’s h-h-happening??” Bill’s stutter always got worse when he was nervous, and right now he was just plain scared. Everyone was yelling, and Eddie was sobbing on the floor. He knelt next to him and began rubbing the poor kid’s shoulders. “H-hey Eddie, w-w-what’s h-happening?” 

“I-I-I-” he began, but once he choked on another sob he could not continue. Ben watched from the doorway, stunned by the sight. 

“BILL WE HAVE TO GO, NOW! I’LL EXPLAIN ON THE WAY. JUST LEAVE EDDIE HERE!” but Bill didn’t budge. His brotherly instincts were kicking in, and Eddie was one of his closest friends. 

“Bill,” her voice was no longer an aggressive yell. “Bill we have to go. Stanley’s in trouble. We have to find him.” 

Bill seemed to break out of his trance at the sound of Stanley’s name. He felt tears swelling up in his eyes, but he had to put on a brave face for his friends. He was the leader, after all. 

“Let’s go,” he said with a shred of confidence. 

The three raced down the halls, searching for their friend desperately. 

“Where would he even be?” Bill asked urgently. 

“According to Snapchat maps, he’s on the second floor. The music floor. Maybe he was in the practice room where he and Richie always went?” Ben suggested as they kept running. He wanted to say more, like maybe he was on snap before he got Bev’s message, but he was quickly becoming out of breath. He had nothing close to the stamina the other two had. 

They quickly ran out of the dorm wing, and into the actual school part of the building. No teachers tried to stop them, and it seemed like there weren’t any teachers around at all. 

They raced down the steps, down to the second floor. Bill twisted his ankle on the way down, but his adrenaline kept him going. They practically flung the door open, and bolted towards the practice rooms. In the middle room, where their two friends always hung out, was a kicked over chair, and a disheveled rug. The piano bench was also kicked over, and Stan’s backpack was in the corner of the room. Most importantly, his phone was left abandoned on the floor. 

Bill let out a small sob and picked up his backpack. There was no way this could be happening. Not to Stan. Stan was too good, he didn’t deserve this. Richie didn’t either. The pain was unbearable and the crippling reality of the situation was starting to hit. He picked up Stan’s backpack and put it on his back. He also picked up his phone, sliding it into his pocket. 

“I-it’s n-n-not like the p-police will look anyways.” 

“No,” Beverly said suddenly. “We have to look more. He couldn’t have gone far from here.” 

Ben was still catching his breath when the other decided to run off again, but to where exactly? He took the opportunity to leave the practice room, and walk into the hallway. He glanced out the window to the city below. It was breathtaking, and he almost took some comfort in the situation. 

“W-w-what kind of psycho k-kidnaps someone in the m-middle of the d-day?” Bill was starting to cry again. He pulled on the backpack straps for comfort. 

“Guys wait,” Ben said curiously. He thought he saw something suspicious outside. It turned out he was right. In the street was an overturned manhole. The cover was moved right next to the entrance, and someone from the inside moved it back into place. Curiously enough, there were no construction men nearby or anyone really that would’ve moved it. “I think I know where Stan is.” 

“T-t-take me there,” Bill’s voice was finally confident again. 

Mike had received Bev’s message a little late. He was, erm- “busy” with Betty Ripson when the message was first delivered. He apologized profusely before leaving the janitor’s closet they were currently in. Betty understood though. She knew about Richie’s disappearance, as did the rest of the school. She also knew how devastated Mike was on the inside, how he bottled up his emotions and how he didn’t show when he was in pain. 

“It’s ok,” she said gently. “Go be with your friends, they need you.” 

And boy was she right. When Mike arrived in Eddie’s room, he found him crying on the floor, all alone. 

“Eddie, what’s wrong,” he tried, but logically he knew the breakdown was about Richie. 

“H-h-he’s gone!!” he cried, squeezing the soaked Hawaiian shirt. 

Lunch was long over, but Mike intended on staying with Eddie, he couldn’t believe the other Losers had left him like this. “Hey, now you’re sounding worse than Bill,” he tried to say something Richie would say, but taking a shot at Bill’s stutter was just kind of shallow in his opinion. His grandfather taught him not to make fun of others. The guilt was immediate. 

Eddie ignored his remark. “Check his sock drawer,” he said finally, it was quiet but still audible. He couldn’t bring himself to check it before Mike arrived.

“Whatever makes you happy, man,” and with that, Mike opened Richie’s sock drawer. Inside was a carton of cigarettes labeled “for Bev”, a bag of weed, black nail polish, an abundance of socks that were uniquely Richie. He thought back to when Richie used to show off his new socks in middle school. They were always crazy, and Mike would never forget when Richie showed up to school in his new Rosie the Riveter socks. 

He refused to remember the good ol’ days as he went through the rest of the drawer. In the very back was a file, filled with a bunch of random notebook scraps and documents. “What is this?” he asked Eddie, as he sat down next to the small boy. He had finally stopped crying but was still on the brink of tears. 

“It must be the evidence he was talking about,” said Eddie. “Open it up.” 

Inside there were photos of Mr. Grey, their biology teachers. “Richie must’ve taken the photos on a polaroid camera so there would be no trace to his phone,” said Mike. In the pictures he was seen by a manhole, lifting the lid. It appeared to be right outside of the school. 

“Hey I know that manhole. Me and Betty have thrown pebbles in it before through the little hole in the top. It’s right in front of the school.” 

“What is Mr. Grey doing opening it up?” Eddie asked, but deep down he already knew the answer. 

“Richie. How did he know about this? Why didn’t he tell us?” Mike was talking basically to himself. He dug through the rest of the file, finding little excerpts Richie had written. 

“Today I saw Bob Grey sneak out of Stan and Mike’s room. He was carrying some of Eddie’s things, including his violin. I took some pictures, but I was too scared to tell Stan. He’s my best friend and I knew he would get so paranoid. His OCD would take over. I’m planning on telling Mike after homecoming. The Losers deserve to know.” As promised, two photos were tossed askew in the file of Mr. Grey smuggling Eddie Cocoran’s belongings out of the room. 

“How did I not notice?” Mike said out loud. 

“Mike, it’s ok. None of us noticed.” Eddie tried his best to comfort him. 

Another piece of notebook paper had some more of Richie’s scribbles on it. “Today Mr. Grey watched me during bio. I think he knows I’m on to him. All of this investigation has been horrible for my grades. I’ve started cheating off people. Eddie is helping me study in musicianship. I wish I could tell him. He’s the only one who would understand.” 

“That must’ve been one of the first weeks of school,” said Eddie. “He must’ve been following Grey this whole time.” 

“Oh my god,” Mike said simply. “We have to report this!” 

“No one will listen! The police are corrupt here, worse than Derry.” Mike flinched at Eddie’s words. “We have to find the others and show them this. I think we finally have some information for the first time in weeks.” 

“I can’t believe this. If I would’ve opened my eyes and looked for Eddie, Richie might’ve never been taken.” Mike had his hands on his face in shame. 

“Listen, Mike. Now isn’t the time to go blaming yourself. We have to stick together and do this for Richie.” 

Suddenly the three B’s burst into the room. Bill was in the lead this time, and he was crying yet again. “It’s Stan, he- h-h-he’s g-gone.” 

Mike felt his heart drop to his chest. No. Not Stan. Anyone but Stan. 

“I know where they are,” Eddie interjected. 

“The manhole.” Ben finished. “They’re under the school.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor kiddos, they've got a big storm comin


	9. The Morlock Tunnels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically following what Mr. Grey is up to underneath the school... spooky ik
> 
> ALSO STAY SAFE MY LOVELIES CORONA IS FUCKIN SCARY AND I LOVE YOU ALL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! so I'm back with another chapter of this shit, although this is much more interesting/ darker than the rest of this fic- so warning for mentions of kidnapping but that's about it 
> 
> blease proceed with caution if you get uncomfy with that stuff. (although it's not far off from the source material, this is Stephen King after all)

“Stop struggling,” Mr. Grey said easily. Stanley Uris wasn’t too tough, but he did resist as his biology teacher practically threw him down the latter. He’d been kidnapped in broad daylight, surprisingly enough. It was the middle of the school day! Surely his math teacher would notice when he didn’t show up after lunch, right? It was a boarding school for goodness sakes, it’s not like you can just skip and go unnoticed. 

“C’mon Uris, I don’t have all fucking day. I have a class to teach,” Mr. Grey spoke again. This time he did shove Stanley down the ladder, the cramped dirty ladder, and his once-perfect face slapped against the floor with all his body weight on top. He groaned in pain, and he knew his nose was broken when he touched his hands to his face and felt rushing blood. He could barely see it though because the disgusting room was very dimly lite. 

The floor was coated in sewage, which coated his face and hair. Once he was on his feet again, vomit rose in his throat and emptied itself on the floor. 

“Ugh, note to self: don’t shove kids down the fucking ladder,” Mr. Grey was obviously annoyed, but his numerous tone was more confusing to Stan than threatening. 

“W-why are you doing this to me?” Stan said weakly. His head painfully throbbed and the greywater burned his eyes. Greywater. That’s what Eddie always called it when they went searching through the Barrens. Bill's dad worked down there and Bill has stolen a map. Stan had wanted to go to the quarry, but Bill had insisted on playing in the Barrens. Besides, Ben was interested in the ’Morlocks,’ or the tunnel covers that lead to the sewers. Stan has read ‘the time machine’ in eighth grade, and he agreed that the tunnels were eerie like the novel. He figured a manhole like the one he was currently in must’ve been a Morlock tunnel too. “Where’s Richie?” He asked as the previous thought subsided. He needed to focus. 

“I’ll show you if you get the fuck up.” Mr. Grey had no emotion in his voice, and it sounded like he’d done this many times before. 

Against his better judgment, Stan followed his kidnapper through the long tunnel they were in. Initially, he thought it was a room, but he realized it was a tunnel when it had no end. City tunnels were much much larger than Derry’s. 

After walking for what felt like hours, they reached a small room that was attached to the side of the tunnel. Mr. Grey finally turned on a flashlight and fiddled with a lock on the door before it finally opened. It was a padlock, but Stan couldn’t concentrate enough to memorize the combination. His head throbbed painfully, his nose still bleeding into his hands. Even worse, his eye had swelled up so much he couldn’t see out of it. His vision was definitely a major problem in this situation. 

“Let’s go, kid, I don’t have all day.” Although it was obvious he did, because why the fuck else would he be leading him down here in the middle of the day. 

“Hey! Hey, help me! Help me! I’m over here!” Came the screaming voice from a boy across the room. 

“Shut it, Tozier. I got your friend here and if you want him alive I suggest you shut that big mouth of yours.” 

“Richie! Richie, you’re alive!” Stan practically shouted. He was crying tears of joy, almost forgetting about his current situation. Mr. Grey turned on a light, which illuminated the room with a bright bluish glow instantly. Stan and Richie squinted uneasily, but Mr. Grey seemed unfazed. 

When Stan’s non-beaten eye adjusted to the light, he took in the mess that was Richie. His clothes were battered, the bright blue homecoming suit he’d worn was ragged, his blazer laying on the floor like some sort of pillow. His button-up once white shirt was grey and dirty, the top button was undone haphazardly. His glasses were cracked, and he had green bruises on his face which suggested they might be old and healing. His hair was greasy and matted to his head. The worst part was his ghastly face, sunken in from the depressing circumstances along with the lack of food and water. He looked like he’d lost ten pounds, which he definitely did not have to lose. His eyes were dark with tears, and his lips were chapped. He was wearing handcuffs too, which were attached to a chain. He was fucking chained to the wall like an animal. He looked horrible. 

“Stan, oh my god,” Richie said finally. 

“Oh save the reunion. I have a special guest coming later, so freshen up.” Mr. Grey interrupted. 

“With what?” Richie asked dumbly. He was exhausted and tired of Mr. Grey’s games. At this point, he didn’t even know if Stan was a figment of his imagination. 

“This, you ungrateful brat.” Mr. Grey tossed him a duffel bag, which he’d been carrying over his shoulder. He unlocked another door which had a small bathroom and unlocked Richie’s handcuffs. 

Mr. Grey left abruptly, slamming the door shut behind him. Stan was still shocked, so Richie did what he did best and spoke first. 

“What the fuck is going on?” He asked eagerly. 

“I- I dunno. That fucker beat me up in the practice room before I woke up on some ladder. That’s all I remember.” Stan was crying now, silently though. 

Richie walked over to him, surprised by his new freedom. His wrists were red and bruised from the cuffs, but he still brought them up to cup Stan’s face. “Hey, it’s gonna be ok. We’re gonna figure this out,” he said as gently as he could. “You look like shit.” 

“Yeah, so do you.” Stan laughed a little. Richie smiled for the first time in weeks. 

“Your nose is bleeding a lot. Are you ok?” 

“I- I fell on my face. No, he shoved me down the ladder and I landed on my face. It fucking hurts a lot. I think it’s broken.” 

Richie fought the urge to make a Jewish nose joke right then and there. Now was most certainly not the time. All he could hear now was sweet Eddie’s voice in his head, telling him to help Stan, that he might get an infection, that his broken nose could kill him. 

Richie told Stan to sit down before running over to the abandoned bag on the floor. Inside was a few protein bars, a few water bottles, some bandages, some ointment, clean clothes for both of them, deodorant and some soap, shampoo, and body wash. 

“He gave us fucking soap! He’s letting us get clean!” Richie said excitedly. He hadn’t showered properly since homecoming, and he fucking reeked. 

“You go shower first,” Stan said suddenly. “I’m gonna clean this place up- I’m so sorry Richie.” 

Richie was choking down a protein bar when Stan spoke. He nodded, grasping for the soap and ran for the bathroom. 

Richie gave Stan a mop and bucket he’d found inside the doorway of the bathroom. It was small and was covered in grey tiles. There was a small light bulb that hung from the ceiling, and a shower that looked like one you'd find in a gym. 

“Stan,” Richie said slowly. 

“Yeah, Richie?” 

“Can you stay with me? Just out there anyways? I- I’ve been alone for so long that I’m scared to be alone again.” 

“Oh. uhh, yeah, sure thing Richie. Just- get in the shower and I’ll start mopping in here. We can get to the big room later.” Stan said gently. 

“Thank you,” Richie said sincerely. 

“No problem, Rich. We’ll get out of here soon.” 

“I hope so.” Richie was finally showering, watching as dirt, grime, and blood all circled down the drain. “I want to go home. I want to see Eddie.” washing his hair was hard, and all the oil had the water bouncing off of it. He winced in pain when he tried moving his wrists. 

“Eddie misses you. We all do. He never stopped looking for you.” 

Richie was now the one crying. 

“I think Eddie knows about Mr. Grey. He sent something to the group chat before I got- uhh- you know.” 

“Oh god, that means he got that horrible love letter cassette I left him. Fuck.” Richie murmured. 

“You confessed?” Stan asked curiously as he moped the floor. The grey tiles were surprisingly white underneath the dirt. 

“Yeah. God, I love him, Stan. I swear if we get out of this I’m gonna marry him.” Richie was beaming. 

“You mean when we get out of this,” Stan corrected. 

“Yeah, sure Stan. When.” Richie said guiltily. 

“I wish I told Bill I love him, or Mike that I’ve been crushing on him for years, but I didn’t. I’m so scared they’ll never know.” Stanley pushed on the mop even harder. His OCD was now overpowering his anxiety, and the disgusting room made him want to scream and cry at the same time. The worst part was that there were no windows. It felt like they were in a tomb, and they probably were. 

“Trust me, Stan, they know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I couldn't give up on Richie that easily


	10. Riverdale, but make it interesting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oh fuck uhhhh basically yeah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi my luvlies, I hope everyone is doing well.  
take this chapter with a grain of salt. I wrote this at 1 am whilist stressing about school. Enjoy!!

It took a few weeks for the Losers to recover from their initial shock. Eddie was still a mess, but he used his pain in his acting. He was in the Mamma Mia ensemble, and singing the bright cheery music made him feel even worse. Bill’s paintings turned from beautiful bright landscapes and portraits to sad studies of birds. He painted them constantly, remembering all he’d lost. Mike gave up on the losers and went on more dates with Betty. They were outraged at first until they realized it was part of his coping. Ben contacted the police almost every day, pleading with them to search the sewers. He’d been planning with Bev all week for how they planned to go down there. 

School was pretty much the same, with their finals coming up as the second semester came to an end. Eddie started studying with Bill since his usual study buddy was MIA. 

“What are linear pairs?” Eddie asked meekly. 

“W-w-what?” Bill responded. 

“Do you even pay attention in geometry? We reviewed this today! My god-” 

“Eddie, chill,” Bev cut him off from his tangent. (haha geometry joke...sorry). 

“No, he needs to know this stuff! You know Bill you could get held behind. You’d have to repeat the year with Richie and Stan.” 

“How do we even know they’re alive?” Ben asked suddenly. 

“S-s-shut up! Everyone shut up! T-they’re alive, and we need to f-find them. I can’t j-j-just sit here while they may be rotting in s-sewage!” yelled Bill. 

“That’s it. Fuck the plan. We need to get down there and look for them, now more than ever,” Beverly said confidently. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” said Ben. 

“Why not? The longer they’re down there the longer they could be hurt or dying. We need to find them. I’m tired of sitting here pretending everything’s ok when it clearly isn’t.” 

“Fine, but we need Mike. Let’s do this.” 

“Betty?” Mike asked gently. Betty said she’d meet him at the Boston common, but the place was empty. It was 11pm and all his friends were studying for their finals. He felt kind of bad for ditching them, but seeing all of Stan’s abandoned stuff made him feel sick to his stomach. His bed, still perfectly made, where Bill sometimes cried on. 

“Betty?” He asked, louder this time. A few moments passed and yet again there was no response. He opened his phone to text her, only to see 27 missed texts and call from the Loser’s group chat.

Bev: Mike, please come back. I know ur with Betty. We need to go find them

Bill: come on man we gotta hurry 

Ben: you can bring Betty with you if that’s what you’re worried about!

Eddie: yeah! 

Bev: please hurry 

Mike: Umm I’m still waiting for Betty. She’s never late but I have no idea where she is

Mike: I’m getting worried 

Eddie: It’s probably fine, just ditch and come back to school 

Bill: Yeah the doors are open on the west wing for janators. 

Ben: janators 

Bill: oh shut up

Mike: guys this is serious we need to find Betty

Bev: I’ll ask Satan

Beverly closed out of the group chat and went to text her roommate, Gretta Keene. 

Bev: have you seen Betty? 

Gretta: why tf would I ever help u 

Bev: oh drop the act, just tell me if you’ve seen her 

Gretta: Who’s asking 

Bev: me u dipshit, that’s why I’m fucking texting you 

Gretta: ur bad girl act is annoying, besides, I know you don’t give two shits about Betty. SO I ask again, who’s asking

Bev: Her boyfriend

Gretta: She has a bf? How did I not know that 

Bev: bc you’re a self-absorbed ass, now just tell me if you’ve seen her

Gretta: I haven’t seen her all day. Last I saw her was lunch, she was going to bio to study for finals. Now politely fuck off 

Bev: holy shit Gretta this is so bad 

Gretta: ??? 

“Guys, Mr. Grey got Betty. Holy shit what do we do.” Bev said angrily. 

“We need to leave, now.” 

Bill: Mike, meet us at the Morlock tunnels, now

Mike: are we seriously doing this tonight??? I have to wait up for Betty

Bill: Grey got her man. I’m so sorry 

Mike fought back tears as he ran to the sewer entrance. The school was pitch black from the outside, different than the bright cityscape around it. The losers club emerged from it, sprinting out the west wing. Bill had his backpack on, it had flashlights, batteries, food, and water. He brought carrot sticks, Stan’s favorite. 

“Mike, I’m s-so sorry man but we gotta go,” said Bill as he pried open the manhole. It wasn’t even screwed down. It had been opened earlier that day. 

“T-there’s a ladder! Let’s go, gang.” Bill led the way, climbing down one-handed as he held his flashlight. His feet landed on the solid ground, and his flashlight shone on something he’d never forget. “T-there’s dried b-b-blood down here. Oh god- do you think it’s S-stans?” His anxiety was spiking, and his stutter was getting worse. 

“I- I dunno,” said Beverly. “Let’s keep moving.” 

A few weeks earlier- 

“What are we doing down here?” Stanley asked his biology teacher, a man he was supposed to be able to trust. 

“Well, I guess since you’ll be dead anyway..” 

“Just say it asshole,” Richie said weakly. 

“A man is coming today, he’ll be harvesting your organs. You must know what that means, you are in high school after all.” 

Stan felt his stomach churn as it threatened to throw up his two protein bars for the day. He’d already lost around ten pounds, which he didn’t really have to lose. Richie looked even worse. 

“Why the fuck do you need our organs?” Richie found himself asking. 

“Language, Tozier.” 

“You’re not my teacher you fucking psychopath!” 

“I- we need your organs for a multitude of reasons. You may not know this, but I’m actually from Florida. I’ve traveled this whole country silently snatching greedy children like yourselves, selling their bodies to high paying customers. Sex sells, of course, but it’s nothing compared to the high cost of organs. A million dollars for a single heart, one literally everyone has. It’s genius! I go around to boarding schools, where kids are away from their parents. It’s tough when they get in the way. Sometimes I’ll go to shelters or foster homes, but those are much harder to find. Plus those kids are way too bratty, most of the time they die on the way before their organs can even be taken. You see, you can’t take organs if they’ve been dead too long. It’s a shame really, to have wasted a life like that.” 

“You sick motherfucker,” Stan said quietly. 

“What was that, Uris? You want me to take away your protein bars?”

“N-no, sir.” 

“Good. As I was saying, we need your organs. Comply or suffer is all I can say. We can make it painless or tragic, but either way, it’s happening.” 

“Is that what happened to Eddie? You stole his organs?” Richie asked fearfully. 

“Precisely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *jazz music stops* 
> 
> plz comment!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure to leave your thoughts! <3


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